T & B went behind the scenes with bay area artist, AnnaValdez in her Oakland studio. If you aren’t familiar with the artist already, Here’s a little background to her work.

As a visual artist with an academic background in anthropology, and video, she views artists as cultural producers. In her recent work, Anna attempts to combine these practices into a specific investigation that cultivates not only personal identity, but also cultural meaning. Currently, Anna is working on various narratives that explore her own traditions and history through a visual format. This process has led her to rely on photographs, stories, family recipes, horticulture, and the tradition of crafting as something concrete in order to construct an autobiography. She considers this examination to be a rite of passage into a globalized society while simultaneously finding a niche within.

Recently, many of her pieces have been still lifes. These arrangements have been composed from various household items such as her clothes, quilts, scarves, blankets, houseplants, drawings, paintings, books, records, and vessels. These items exist as a part of her domestic environment, and Anna has put them into paintings to understand the domestic sphere as emblematic of both personal and collective experience.

Thanks for sitting down with us today. For starters, we love your work and would love to hear more about you. What’s your average day like?

I don’t think painting is just about applying paint to a surface; it also includes research, analysis and visual digestion. I do spend at least a few hours a day reading about whatever topic currently captures my interest, looking at images online or in books, reading articles, drawing from my immediate space or talking out ideas with other artists in my community. I tend to be most physically active in the studio at night.

Sounds wonderful. Your recent paintings are really intriguing. Can you tell us more about what inspired this series?

My current work is the result of what excites me in painting. I am interested in the exploration of lineage in art history. Much of my work references historical and contemporary painters. I use the tradition of still life painting in order to construct stories that convey my experiences into a visual story that reflects culture.

Where do you find inspiration? Where do you see your work going next?

I think of the studio as an environment that allows me to explore various concepts. At the moment I have a few directions in which I would like to take my work. I’ve found that working at a fast pace helps accelerate discovery and things just happen. I want to continue working in a state of urgency in order to work out as many ideas as possible. This practice has helped me realize what I find interesting in painting and in my own work. Lately I’ve been painting at a larger scale. I feel that with the increased size the paintings have more of a physical presence. I like that the work acts as an extension of space within a room.

Photos and content by Heather Day for Taupe & Birch. Special thanks to Anna Valdez for sharing her space with us!

A few months ago I went to the Harvest Beer Festival put on by Minneapolis St. Paul magazine. After trying dozens of local craft brews, I spotted Verdant Tea. Surprised to see them there, I went over to sample some of their new Kombucha flavors. They were also sampling Tree Fort Soda. This is where I first discovered these delicious botanical sodas hand crafted by 18 year old Eva Duckler. We got the details on the Tree Fort Soda from Eva herself.

When did you start hand crafting your own sodas and what was your motivation?I began exploring the unusually vast world of craft sodas from a very young age. I grew up tasting all of the weirdest brands I could get my hands on—I have collections of inked-scrawled napkins from notes I’d take on flavor profiles of soda as a geeky middle schooler. Just as I’d watch adults around me swirl a glass of fine scotch and note the robust flavor, I’d be fascinated by the amber glow and full-bodied taste of delicious root beer. Because I had created my very own personal cultish devotion to flavor and the quest for the perfect soda, brewing my own seemed nearly sacrilegious.

Fast forward several years and I am working at Verdant Tea, a Minneapolis based tea house and tasting room. At Verdant, the experience is based entirely on the senses; they encourage exploration in all sorts of realms; from tea to chai I got to immerse myself in the brewing world. l was asked to help out with drink specials and began making small batches of herbal syrups for making hot steamers and sodas. They already had a tap system for kombucha at the teahouse so I decided to take a crack at an herbal drink to have on tap. People really loved the sodas I was making and as a culminating end of high school project I decided to make a business out of it. I graduated and decided to take a year off before heading off college to pursue the business further because I was having so much fun with it.

How much experimentation did you do to get the flavors you were looking for in each soda? The root beer took a lot of time—months of perceived failures. I probably went through 60 batches to even get it to where I wanted to share it with others. I had to learn a lot about beer brewing because there are so many parallels between the worlds and I needed to learn how kegging and bottling works. Once I got the hang of the brewing process and all of the equipment involved, I found it a lot easier to develop the ginger ale. If you are using fresh ingredients and real cane sugar you don’t have to work really hard to get it to taste good.

My favorite is the root beer. It’s so good and really different from traditional root beers. What in your opinion sets yours apart? The root beer is very different from what people expect of it. Because it brewed with real botanicals people are often surprised by how herbaceous the flavor is. I like it because it is a nod to what root beer was before America became obsessed with synthetically produced flavors and concocting products out a lab. The flavors of our root beer come from the rich history of using the drink as a medicinal tonic, or later as an alternative to alcohol during prohibition.

How did the name Tree Fort come about? I was looking for something that inspired nostalgia but also incorporated a sense for the botanical qualities of the sodas. I grew up playing in a tree fort and I imagine many others had a similar place of imagination and childhood wonders growing up.

Where can we find Tree Fort sodas? Currently it is available on tap at Verdant, East Lake Brewery, Lakewinds Co-ops, and in bottles at Seward Co-op, Linden Hills Co-op, and Caffetto. The Kowalski’s markets will be carrying it in bottles and on tap at select locations as well.

What does the future look like for Tree Fort? I’m working on building out a fully equipped brewery in Minneapolis. We are currently in the middle of demoing the space to prepare for some much larger tanks and other fun brewery equipment. This will allow us to get a lot more product out there and share it with more people. I plan on putting my heart into getting the operations side of things to a self-sustained state with the help of a great team by next fall when I will be leaving to attend Wellesley college. While I’m away I’ll be involved in the administrative and business side of things.

The owners of Verdant have invested in this new space as well and the current Verdant will be under new ownership. The new teahouse, taproom and shop will be located at 2009 E. 24th Street coming early 2015.

Spark Letterpress, located in the heart of the arts district in Northeast Minneapolis, opened its new showroom and print shop this summer after about a ten year hiatus of leaving the Twin Cities. Growing from a business of two, husband and wife duo Jim Watne and Valerie Carlson, to more than ten full-time staff, Watne and Carlson knew they wanted to return to the Twin Cities to grow their business even further. We sat down with Valerie to get the inside scoop.

How did you and your husband become interested in design and how did that carry over into custom letterpress?I always considered myself to be creative and worked as a designer in my 20s for some large accounting firms. As much as I enjoyed the challenges of those positions – to be creative within a confined set of design standards – I wanted to branch out on my own. I began doing freelance design work for other companies and somewhere along the line I met Jim. We fell in love and he ultimately joined me in doing freelance design work since he had also been working as a designer. We designed our own wedding invitations and found that stationery was a great outlet for creativity in comparison to our regular freelance work. We decided that if we wanted to be truly successful and profitable that we should invest in a printing press. We happened upon letterpress for it’s beautiful impression left in the paper as well as the simplicity of the press. I’d say the rest is history but that is certainly oversimplifying the past 10 years.

How long have you been doing letterpress and how you made the leap to starting a letterpress business?We’ve been doing letterpress since 2004 and are so thankful to be pursuing that dream today. We knew that letterpress was a growing niche printing market and have worked really hard to become a print shop that people can trust to produce their ideas. Whether it is a gorgeous wedding stationery suite, your one-of-a-kind business card or just a simple note, we handle projects big and small.

How many employees do you currently have and what are their roles to make everything operate smoothly?There are 10 of us at Spark. We have four people in client service and design, three in production, two in operations and myself overseeing everything from creative direction, production management and cleaning the kitchen! We have been fortunate to find the right staff person for each position. We like a balance of skill, personality and flexibility because being in a small business is no small feat. We all need to function independent of one another and come together as a team to keep Spark running smoothly.

Can you name a few of the publications your letterpress work has been featured in?Spark’s custom invitations have been featured in national magazines such as Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides (national and regional), Print, Communication Arts, Inside Weddings, Real Simple Weddings, The Knot, New York Weddings, Destination Weddings & Honeymoons, Stationery Trends, InStyle Weddings, Minnesota Bride, Seattle Bride, World Bride, Grace Ormonde Wedding Style and more. Spark has also been featured on numerous online media including FPO, Oh So Beautiful Paper, Paper Crave, The Brides Guide, Style Me Pretty, Merci New York, Casa Sugar, The Knot, Brides.com, RealSimple.com, Always a Blogsmaid and Communication Arts web pick.

What would you say to the aspiring creative entrepreneur?If it is your true passion or calling you will know because you won’t allow anything or anyone to get in the way of pursuing your dream. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have doubts or haven’t been through hard times with Spark. I have and I will continue to experience that. Success doesn’t just happen, it is the result of working harder than you ever imagined possible. When your friends are having fun on the weekends, you should be writing your business plan or developing your marketing materials. When you want to get that new car, you should be evaluating whether it is a necessity and consider instead saving for that next big unexpected expense for your own company. I make difficult decisions each and every day and owning a creative business is not for the faint of heart.

Meet Kat Hicks and Zoe Ahlgren. Kat and Zoe are currently building a business constructing surfboards on a ranch in Pacifica, California. I met Kat in college back in Baltimore and we recently crossed paths in the bay area. While their business is just starting off, I thought it would be interesting to document the lifestyle and process of a young business in California.

Zoe was born and bred Pacifica, a city just south of San Francisco. His family has owned and operated Shamrock Ranch since the gold rush. Being raised on a ranch, Zoe was raised with a steadfast work ethic that shows in the quality and quantity of his work. He is a conscientious craftsman who sees every piece as an opportunity to push himself and his craft.

Kat hails from the right coast, originally from Virginia Beach, VA. She has been drawing all her life and has a particular love for illustration and line work. After graduating from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, MD she caught a ride west to San Diego with no plans other than to drop off a painting. While traveling up the coast she was introduced to Kevin Ancell, an amazing artist and painter who is affiliated with the RVCA ANP (artist network program). Relating to her artwork, he invited her to come be his assistant in Newport Beach, CA. She jumped at the chance and after finishing a road trip up the coast she found her way back to Newport where she spent the next 3 months learning from Ancell, helping him prepare for an upcoming show in Santa Monica, and mulling around the RVCA HQ. Kevin knew Zoe from Pacifica, where he was living before Newport, and asked him to come down to make him some large scale canvases. Kevin had taught Zoe a lot about shaping surfboards and Zoe ended up shaping two boards for Kev’s show.

Once Kat and Zoe met they were pretty much inseparable. Kev, realizing he had already lost his assistant, sent her back to Pacifica to continue some of the work from his studio. A year later Kat and Zoe are still together and currently live on the ranch together where they’re developing a unique style of both foam and hollow wooden surfboards.

What made you interested in making surf boards? Kevin taught Zoe how to shape boards. Zoe was determined to design a hollow wooden board that was comparable to a foam one. Kat is still learning how to shape.. and surf..but she’s been interested in designing them since a young age. She liked the idea of someone not only owning her artwork, but riding it. Kevin showed her how to work with abalone shell and Zoe has taught her a lot about wood inlay. Between the two of them they’re making some insanely unique boards.

What’s your average schedule like?

Zoe works on the ranch most of the day which can range from general maintenance things like, fixing broken pipes and roofs, to more interesting tasks like chasing down liberated horses. Kat works for Barbara Butler treehouses, building, you guessed it, treehouses. Lately their off hours have been devoted to refurbishing the old dairy processing building into a house for themselves.

Tell me about the property you live on.

Zoe’s grandfather bought the property, a much more expansive version, during the gold rush at the turn of the century. He started off as a furrier and ran a pawn shop in the city. They had a variety of animals and livestock come through the ranch over the years and have dabbled in farming as well. For a long time they had cows where they processed and bottled local milk. Presently, the ranch is owned by Zoe’s mom, Dana, but managed by him and his sister, Serena. His twin sister, Ari, and brother, John, live on the ranch as well. They operate a dog kennel and daycare and have over 100 horses on the property.

What’s your favorite and least favorite part about making surf boards?

Zoe’s favorite is sanding, the part of the shaping process where you make the board look less like a chunk of foam or pieces of wood, and more like a surfboard. You get to make it beautiful. While Kat loves sanding too, she really finds an almost masochistic enjoyment in tiny, meticulous, wood and shell inlay. They both hate glassing, it’s the worst. It’s really hard and is always presenting new challenges that are either incredibly difficult or impossible to fix. Plus fiberglass is itchy and resin is toxic. Seriously..it’s the worst.

How long does it take to make a board? It varies greatly, depending on wood vs foam..art / no art.. is it a shape we’ve worked with before (are we replicating a board) or is this a whole new shape..? Generally for foam about 4-5 days of solid work. A wood board takes a good bit longer just because theres a lot of waiting around for glue to dry. It can be as short as just over a week to a whole month though depending on the board shape and amount of detail.

What’s next from here? We don’t have any definite plans. We’d like to launch a website and maybe make some sort of order form but both of us are a little gun shy when it comes to commissions. First and for most we’d love to just sell what we’ve already made out there. So after the gallery show ends this week we’ll look for restaurants and other galleries that might want some boards.

What are your sources of inspiration? Danny Hess is an obvious one, though after learning a lot of his boards now are foam with wood veneer..we can’t lie..he’s a little tainted! Reynolds Yater is also an awesome shaper who you can’t help but respect and look up to. Alex Pardee is a huge one for Kat, as well as James Jean, Margaret Kilgallen, Ed Templeton and Ben Horton.

The Keatings..Dick and Penny Keating are two amazing people who have lived in Pacifica since it was called San Pedro Valley. They own that dock we took you out on. Dick is an amazing shaper and surfer, we call him all the time for help and he’s always super generous with his time and knowledge. They’re definitely the first ones we run to when we finish a board, its gotta past the Keating test. DK is also Kev’s surrogate father..that’s how Kat was introduced to the Keatings, Kev brought her home to meet “the family”. And of course, Kev.

MAI, a local clothing company in the Twin Cities, makes unique and original activewear inspired by both the city and nature around us. We sat down with owner Emma Holcomb to get the details on the history of MAI, the process and the latest fall collection that just launched.

How did you get started in fashion design and specifically in designing yoga apparel? I graduated from UW-Stout with a degree in Apparel Design and Development. As my yoga practice grew, I started searching for cute yoga pants and I couldn’t find any! I searched everywhere and couldn’t find what I was looking for. Until I walked in to Lululemon and wanted everything, but couldn’t afford anything! I’d rather spend my money on great food and experiences with friends and family than on fancy clothes. There was a huge gap in the market for affordable but cute and trendy workout clothes and I knew I could fill that! My favorite part about building MAI has been that it is all made locally in Minnesota, and always will be.

Can you tell us a little more about what MAI represents as a company?The name MAI comes from our mantra: I AM enough. MAI is I AM backwards. We believe that who you are, is exactly who you should be. Loving yourself as you are can bring you the most enjoyment in life.

What is the start to finish process of creating a new product like?It’s a ton of work, but it’s a blast! We take our time to find the inspiration for our next line and then start designing and sourcing fabrics- this can take a while, but when everything comes together, it is the best feeling! Once we have designs and fabric we start making patterns and testing each piece to make sure it fits great while you live your active life. When that is complete we cut out all the of the fabric in our basement! Then it goes to our wonderful seamstress in Saint Louis Park, we get it back, print our logo on it and then it is time for us to put together our photoshoot and update our website. The best part is shipping it to our customers, we couldn’t do it without all of the support we’ve received over the past 2 years.

Where can we find MAI?We are located at Minnesota Power Yoga on Washington ave in the North Loop and will be expanding to other local studios this fall! Until then, find us online at www.fashionbyMAI.com and follow us on social media @fashionbyMAI to get our latest updates and info on pop-up events.

What advice would you give to young women wanting to start something on their own like you have done with MAI?Starting your own business or collection is the hardest part, there are a lot of questions and unknowns, but just start. Keep your expectations attainable and allow yourself to fail, you will learn so much as you grow, in ways you could never have foreseen. And just keep going, and smile and enjoy the ride.

MAI turns 2 this November! Come celebrate with us at Minnesota Power Yoga- Facebook has all of the details. We’d love to offer Taupe & Birch readers 20% off all of our online Fall collection (scarves and summer clearance not included). Use code: TB20.

We are thrilled to share yet another recipe from Nabila at Spirit Plate. This is a fancy dish with multiple steps. It requires some patience but the result is SO well worth the wait. It’s deeply rich with layered flavors that bring to mind sitting on a trattoria patio in Italy with a glass of wine and great conversation. The trick is to let each portion of liquid be completely absorbed by the risotto rice before adding the next portion to slowly coax out the starches and get a nice, creamy result.

Part I: Make the Butternut Squash Puree

3/4 lb washed, peeled, and cubed butternut squash

2 garlic cloves

4 large fresh sage leaves

2 tbsp butter (regular or vegan)

3/4 cup stock (approx.)

sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 475F. Melt butter (I used Earth Balance) over medium heat in a small pot. Add squash with sage leaves, garlic, and vegetable stock. Season liberally with sea salt and simmer until squash is fork tender. Remove sage leaves and blend mixture until completely smooth. Pour back into pot, keeping warm until ready to use.

Part II: Roast the Butternut Squash

1/2 lb washed and peeled butternut squash

2 Tbsp olive oil

sea salt, to taste

Cut squash into 1/2″ cubes. Toss with olive oil and salt to taste. Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for approximately 5 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Once done, remove from the tray and set aside.

Part III: Fry Sage Leaves

1/4 cup grapeseed oil (or other high-heat oil)

1/4 cup fresh, clean and dry sage leaves

Heat oil in small frying pan over medium high heat. Lower sage leaves with a slotted spoon into the hot oil for 5-10 seconds until they all turn an even brown color. Remove leaves with the slotted spoon and dry on a paper towel.

Part IV: Make the Sage Brown Butter

1/2 cup butter (Earth Balance)

10-15 fresh, clean and dry sage leaves

Melt 1/2 cup of butter in a clean sauce pan over medium heat. Brown the butter to an even rich golden color, stirring frequently. Add 10-15 fresh, clean and dried sage leaves to the butter and remove from heat immediately. Once butter has cooled (but is still liquid) remove sage leaves and strain into a bowl and set aside.

Part V: Make the Risotto

2 1/2 cups stock

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

1/2 cup onions

2 cloves garlic

1 cup arborio risotto rice

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup white wine or vermouth

2 cups of butternut squash puree (see above)

1-2 tbsp butter

2 cups arugula

roasted butternut squash (see above)

sage brown butter (see above)

fried sage leaves (see above)

Place stock and water into a large pot. Bring to boil and then turn down heat to keep liquid at a light simmer. In a separate large heavy bottom pot heat oil over medium-low heat. Add onions and pinch of salt and let sweat until translucent, 10-15 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of stock liquid to soften onions. Let the liquid evaporate completely. Turn the heat up to medium high and add all the rice. Toast the rice for a few minutes until the edges of the grains are translucent. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine to deglaze. Stir the rice until the wine evaporates. Add one cup of the hot stock liquid. Stir often to coax the starches out of the rice. Once absorbed, add the warm butternut squash puree and continue to stir. Once the puree thickens and reduces, go back to adding the hot cooking liquid. Add the next cup of liquid only when the last cup has been absorbed by the rice. Stir frequently. During the cooking process, make sure to adjust the heat so the liquid is always gently boiling. Continue to add liquid and cook the risotto until it reaches the al dente stage or cook to your liking (I prefer more tender grains). Once done, stir in the butter and turn off the heat. Fold in the roasted squash cubes and arugula. Cover and let rest 2 minutes. Just before serving, add a bit of hot liquid to loosen the consistency, if necessary. Plate on warmed dishes. Top with fried sage leaves and a drizzle of warm sage brown butter. Serve immediately.

Note: Extra squash puree can be frozen for up to 3 months. Extra sage brown butter can be refrigerated in airtight container for a few weeks.

We’ve had our eye on fashionista Ashlie O’Day who co-owns the very chic Proper & Primboutique. If you are strolling the streets of Uptown, be sure to stop in and shop some great fall fashions. Proper & Prim will be hosting a party celebrating the 4th birthday of its original Fargo location this Thursday, October 16 from 5-9pm. Enjoy sweets, bubbly & 20% off | 2743 Lyndale Ave. S. in Mpls.

What do you do?I co-own Proper & Prim with my sister, Teresa. I act as a buyer and manager for our Minneapolis location. I am also a buyer for my mom’s import store, O’Day Cache.

Where are you from?Born and raised in Fargo, North Dakota, home to people who will clarify that the movie Fargo wasn’t actually filmed there.Random fact about yourself?I speak very rudimentary Turkish. I can say phrases like “I speak very little Turkish” along with a mixed bag of vocabulary words like “crowded” and “watermelon”. Favorite color?Does a metallic count? If so, brushed gold. If not, the palest of pale pink.Favorite clothing item?My favorite non-Proper & Prim item is the ultimate fitted black blazer that I bought in Beijing years ago. I wore it down to the thread and was depressed I would have to toss it. Yet, in a serendipitous moment while back in Beijing on a buying trip this past spring, I revisited the store and a saleswoman remembered me and led me to the same exact blazer, which they brought back for another season. I promptly purchased it after a moment of squealing and clapping.Proper or Prim?Neither! We put a twist on the classic “prim and proper” phrase for that very reason. I am very much a girl in many ways, but I’ll never fit into the “little white gloves” mindset.Morning or night?Night. I am more productive once the sun goes down.Favorite place in Minneapolis?Lake of the Isles and Lowry Hill. One day I’ll own one of those gorgeous mansions, but if that doesn’t shake out, I’ll settle for a walk around the neighborhood.

Throw back to last weekend. It looks like Heather had a relaxing weekend in Sonoma and we had absolutely beautiful fall weather here in Minnesota (80 degrees!) which made for a great and much anticipated camping and climbing weekend at the Saved Sandstone Festival in Sandstone, MN.

The festival is a celebration of the community effort to obtain the land for climbers to use which was previously forbidden and illegal as the land was privately owned. After years of hard work to not only accumulate the land through with the help of the MN Parks & Recreation Board, but also to build roads and paths for accessibility, Sandstone is now one of the best places to outdoor climb in Minnesota. It’s also a top destination for ice climbing in the winter.

We camped, rock climbed, conversed around a bonfire, ate homemade stone fire pizzas from WildEarth WoodFired Mobile Pizza Bakery, star gazed at the millions of stars you aren’t able to see in the city, waded our feet in the water and attended a morning yoga session as the sun came up along the river. It’s times like these I am happiest — when I am resetting — reviving, rejuvenating and reclaiming the freeness of simply being.

Mallory Lucille is an illustrator living and working in San Francisco. Her work immediately stood out to me for it’s exciting, sarcastic yet empathetic undertone. Be sure to check out her spectacular website and better yet, follow this gem on Instagram.

Random Fact about yourself?I can efficiently write upside down and backwards; most of my workfeatures this fun fact.

Favorite color?Willow grey (the color of most sidewalks)

Cat or Dog?I’m partial to my cat that acts like a dog, but someday when I growup– I want a dog, too.

Who do you look up to? My father, he absorbs and exudes so much information, appreciation,and compassion. He really brightens up my life.

What’s you favorite place in the city?I’m tempted to pick something as broad as the mission; my favoritepart of the city is the convenience of being in my studio and twominutes later running into beautiful girls at coffee shops. (Side note: I ran into Mallory at FourBarrel Coffee where I asked her a few questions!)

San Francisco is amazing, but I always enjoy escaping the city for other bay area adventures. This weekend I drove to Sonoma with a few friends. We started the day with brunch at The Fremont Diner. The diner is conveniently located in wine country and they pride themselves in sourcing all ingredients locally. I love the fact that you leave your name with the host and then make your way to the yard where you’ll order a mimosa or milkshake from an old streamline. I’ve never waited more than 15-20 mins for a table and their menu is very reasonably priced.

Next stop, Scribe Winery! If you haven’t been before, this place is not to be missed. Somewhere between the gorgeous vineyards, rustic design, and delicious wine – I always find myself feeling like I’m finally resetting from a busy week in the city. One thing that resonates with me is the fact that Scribe embraces the history of the land. The old architecture and artifacts creates a beautiful anthology of stories. The people that work at Scribe have got to be the friendliest, down-to-earth and not to mention trendiest servers! Before bringing out the wine, they will gladly introduce themselves as if you’ve just met an old friend for a drink and eventually bring out the wine while sharing some interesting details about the vineyard. If you’d like to make a trip to Scribe, be sure to call ahead. They can be quite busy, making it difficult to make a last minute reservation. If you join their membership club, it’s quite easy to reserve a spot on the hill with a blanket overlooking the vineyard.

Welcome

Taupe & Birch is a lifestyle blog passionate about sharing trends in art, design, food and fashion. T & B presents creative findings that will inspire and expand your visual vocabulary on a daily basis. Join us as we visit with artists, designers, foodies and local shops.